1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foldable front wheel structure of a golf cart, more particularly one, which includes a supporting component, a round rotating member, and a joining shaft coupling the round rotating member to the supporting component; after the joining shaft is disengaged from the supporting component, it can be turned in either of clockwise direction and counterclockwise one to move the front wheel between a stretched in-use position and a folded not-in-use one; therefore, the font wheel can be easily operated by not only those people who prefer using their right hands but also those people who prefer using their left hands.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Golf is getting more popular with heightening of living standard. Because many different types of golf clubs, which are relatively heavy in weight, will be used in a golf game, the golfers usually put their golf clubs in golf bags, and carry the golf bags with golf carts; thus, it won't take the golfers a lot of labor to move the golf clubs around a golf course.
Shown in FIG. 9 is a currently existing foldable front wheel structure of a golf cart, which includes a supporting component 3, a joining shaft 4, and a front round rotating member (not shown in the figures) fitted on the joining shaft 4. The supporting component 3 has a tubular part 31, which has opposite stopping protrusions 32 on an inner side; the angle between the stopping protrusions 32 is 90 degrees. The tubular part 31 further has hollow fixing portions 33 between the opposite stopping protrusions 32. The supporting component 3 further has detainment gaps 34 and through holes 35 thereon.
The joining shaft 4 has a step-shaped portion 41 at a front end thereof, and a shank part 411 adjoining the step-shaped portion 41. The step-shaped portion 41 has a stopping block 42 on a circumferential side thereof. An annular member 44 is positioned around the shank part 411, and an elastic element 43 is positioned between and propped against the step-shaped portion 41 and the annular member 44. The annular member 44 has fixing gaps 441 on a circumferential side thereof. And, a movable member 45 is positioned next to the annular member 44, and secured around the shank part 411; the movable member 45 has several embedded protrusions 451 on a circumferential side thereof. The shank part 411 is joined to the front round rotating member, i.e. the front wheel.
In assembly, referring to FIG. 10, the joining shaft 4 is joined to the tubular part 31 of the supporting component 3 with the stopping blocks 42 being received in a corresponding said hollow fixing portion 33, and with the embedded protrusions 451 of the movable member 45 being embedded in the detainment gaps 34. Next, fixing pins 36 are inserted in the through holes 35 of the supporting component 3, and received in the joining cavities 441 of the annular member 44 so as to fix the annular member 44 on the supporting component 3.
Shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is the front wheel being under a folding action; first, the shank part 411 of the joining shaft 4 is pulled away from the tubular part 31 of the supporting component 3 so as to separate the stopping block 42 from a corresponding said hollow fixing portion 33; thus, the shank part 411 can be turned relative to the supporting component 3. Second, the shank part 411 is turned 90 degrees leftwards, and the stopping block 42 is stopped by one of the stopping protrusions 32 on the inner side of the tubular part 31; thus, the front wheel is in the folded not-in-use configuration. Next, the use stops pulling the shank part 411; thus, the elastic element 43 forces the joining shaft 4 to move further into the tubular part 31 of the supporting component 3, and the joining shaft 4 is firmly fixed on the supporting component 3 with the stopping block 42 being received in a corresponding said hollow fixing portion 33, and with the embedded protrusions 451 of the movable member 45 being embedded in the detainment gaps 34. Therefore, the front wheel is firmly fixed in the folded not-in-use configuration.
If the user wants to move the front wheel to the stretched in-use position, first he should pull the shank part 411 away from the tubular part 31 of the supporting component 3 so as to separate the stopping block 42 from a corresponding said hollow fixing portion 33. Second, the user turns the shank part 411 rightwards by 90 degrees so that the front wheel is in the stretched in-use configuration. Next, the user stops pulling the shank part 411 in order for the stopping block 42 to be received in a corresponding said hollow fixing portion 33; thus, the front wheel is firmly fixed in the stretched in-use configuration.
The above-mentioned foldable front wheel structure of a golf cart has a drawback: The user is only allowed to turn the joining shaft 4 rightwards by 90 degrees to change the front wheel from the folded not-in-use configuration into the stretched in-use one. Therefore, those people who prefer using their right hands can operate the joining shaft 4 to stretch the front wheel relatively easily, yet the joining shaft 4 can't be easily operated by those people who prefer using their left hands.
Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide an improvement on a front wheel of a golf cart, which is structured in such a manner as to be easily moved between a stretched in-use position and a retreated not-in-use one by those people who prefer using their right hands as well as those people who prefer using their left hands, thus overcoming the above-mentioned problem.